NCAA Tournament Final: Kentucky vs. Kansas

March Madness Final: Kentucky 67, Kansas 59 — as it happened!

The Kentucky Wildcats are flying high after defeating Kansas, 67-59, and winning the 2012 NCAA championship. Photograph: Jeff Haynes/Reuters

Preamble: The history of these schools alone makes this NCAA Final one for the ages. Consider just a few of the connections between Kentucky and Kansas, the two winningest programs in college basketball.

The Wildcats' legendary coach, Adolph Rupp, attended the University of Kansas where he played under the great "Phog" Allen. The assistant coach on that team? Allen's predecessor, a guy named James Naismith, who only invented the game of basketball. (He also has the ironic distinction of being the only Jayhawks coach with a losing record.) Meanwhile, Naismith's name just happens to be on the trophy that Kentucky's Anthony Davis won earlier this week as the Player of the Year. And on the hardware that Kansas coach Bill Self took home as Coach of the Year.

Now consider Self, who got his start at Kansas in 1985 when then-head coach Larry Brown had an opening for a volunteer position on his staff because one of his assistants left to coach at Pittsburgh. That assistant's name? John Calipari.

Fast-forward to 2008. Calipari takes his new team, the Memphis Tigers, to the NCAA Final only to have them lose, 75-68 in overtime. To Kansas. Coached by Bill Self.

And so here we are four years later, with Calipari still looking for the NCAA title that has eluded him all these years. This entire season his Wildcats have played the best basketball in the country—including a 75-65 victory over Kansas at Madison Square Garden in November. And yet none of that will matter unless Kentucky cuts down those nets at the end of the evening.

But trying to win a championship that's yours to lose is never easy. And as Kansas proved on Saturday night against Ohio State, even having a comfortable lead at halftime is no guarantee when going up against the Jayhawks. So do they have enough left for one more dramatic win?

I don't see it. There's just too much talent on this Kentucky team and Kansas really haven't been that dominant all tournament.

My friend Barry writes: "It's a monsoon in downtown NOLA, and the gutters—ripe with peroxide from Kentucky's finest salons—overflow with plastic daiquiri glasses stained blue. The VCU fan waving two tickets all weekend has finally left the front gate of the Mercedes Benz Superdome, having apparently tired of his year-long celebration. Mercedes Benz doesn't care who wins. Everyone else wants Kansas."

(I should point out that Barry is wearing a "Pure Kansas" t-shirt. So...take his observations with a shaker of salt.)

More from Barry: "It's seriously like 3 UK fans for every 1 KU fan, half an hour before tip. Kansas just took the court and it sounded like a few excited soccer moms hoping for a good game. Every time Calipari comes on the Jumbotron the place erupts."

One and done: Win or lose, most expect Kentucky's Anthony Davis to announce he's going pro after the tournament ends. Then the NBA can "bow to the brow."

Is that you, Frida Kahlo? Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

.But should the Wildcats win it all — giving John Calipari his first NCAA championship — expect to hear talk of Coach Cal leaving Kentucky to take over the Knicks next season. (Because that will do a lot to end all those Rick Pitino comparisons.)

Kansas 2 - Kentucky 0, 19:27, 1st Half: Kansas, in blue, gets off to a good start with a quick bucket from Tyshawn Taylor. At the other end, Jeff Withey made a monster block. The Jayhawks have come out pumped.

Kansas 7 - Kentucky 11, 15:27, 1st Half: Kentucky is really on a roll here. The pace is intense. Kidd-Gilchrist with a dunk...a defense stop when Taylor misses a layup...and then a layup from Doron Lamb.

I'm not ready to hand them the scissors for the nets juuuust yet. But, yes, it sure does look like Kentucky is putting an exclamation point on a stellar season. This is total dominance...bordering on humiliation.

But @LengelDavid believes there's hope for Kansas. He tweets: "KU looked better then they did all half on that buzzer-beating layup. Same thing happened vs. OSU. It ain't over."

I would, however, point out that Mr. Lengel is a Mets fan. He is used to believing in lost causes.

Some presidential trash-talking: During a halftime interview with President Obama, Clark Kellogg asked who can go one on one with him on the basketball court now that his former body man (and ex-Duke player) Reggie Love has left the White House. The president didn't hesitate: "There's really no one who can take me on around here."

Still more halftime analysis: From below the line. Dynamic22 writes: "Kansas realizing what most teams have, with Anthony Davis inside+ 4 other nba quality defenders you are forced to settle for tough shots or 'floaters', all the normal shots are just overmatched by top quality defense."

And, honestly, Davis really hasn't been a force in this game. Imagine if he starts hitting a few shots this half...

Kentucky 46 - Kansas 30, 14:44, 2nd Half:: Davis finally gets on the scoreboard with a free throw...and after a defensive stop and a missed shot by Kentucky, he makes a steal. Terrence Jones comes up with it for the Wildcats Dunk.

Kentucky is really in control here. Again.

And Bill Self wants a timeout.

Kentucky 46 - Kansas 34, 13:55, 2nd Half: After a Kentucky steal....Kansas picks it right back...breakaway...and Johnson with the dunk. Kind of looked like goaltending, but they're so behind, let's give it to them.

On the next possession...another steal. Another breakaway by Johnson. Another dunk.

Timeout Kentucky.

Kentucky 46 - Kansas 34, 13:02, 2nd Half: The Wildcats are up by 12, but the pace seems to have slowed and that's not to their advantage. And they've also been making turnovers. They need to settle down or Kansas will sneak back in this—as David Lengel predicted.

Kentucky 62 - Kansas 52, 2:42, 2nd Half: Lamb misses a three for Kentucky...but the 'Cats make a defensive stop. They slow it down on this possession. They're shooting 25% this half so you can't blame them.

Well, that second half wasn't too pretty for the Wildcats...and Kansas made it interesting in the end...but Kentucky's lead (and superb defense) was just too much to overcome.

And John Calipari has his first national championship.

One Shining Moment: Before we cut down the nets...let's talk music. When it's all over tonight, CBS will once again play the anthem of March Madness—"One Shining Moment."— with a moving montage of the tournament's most dramatic moments.

The song itself written by David Barrett in 1987—in 20 minutes—and he sang the original version. Since then CBS has used versions by three artists: Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, and Jennifer Hudson.

But which one is your favorite?

David Barrett (1987-1992, 2000-2003): When the song was introduced in 1987, the musical intro was so long that viewers could have easily turned off the TV. As for Barrett's voice? It sounds like a mellow '70s ballad. But the lyrics save it.

.

Teddy Pendergrass (1994-1999): Barrett passed the song on to the smooth, soulful voice of Teddy Pendergrass. It's clearly an improvement over the original, but five years later, Barrett got the call again.

.

Luther Vandross (2003-2009, 2011): As far as I'm concerned, this is the definitive version of the "One Shining Moment." And yet, in 2010 CBS decided that they'd had enough of Luther…

Jennifer Hudson (2010):Take nothing away from Jennifer Hudson. Her version of the national anthem at the Super Bowl ranks up their with Whitney Houston's. (And unlike Whitney, Hudson did hers live.) But this is not what "One Shining Moment is supposed to sound like. After just one year—and protests from viewers—CBS restored the Luther Vandross version.

Bluegrass Pride: So Kentucky did what everyone expected them to—and that's never easy. John Calipari gets his first national championship, but don't expect a repeat. He'll likely lose Davis and another player or two to the NBA draft.

And who knows...perhaps he will be coaching the Knicks this time next year.

But it's a very impressive season...and a very impressive tournament for Calipari and his team.

The Kentucky Wildcats are the 2012 NCAA national champions.

That's all for me tonight. On behalf of Steve Busfield, David Lengel, and Hunter Felt, it's been a lot of fun covering March Madness. Thank you for joining us and for all of your comments, predictions, and rants.